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Best camouflage patterns - which colour or pattern?
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"By the late 1980s, there were a handful of hunting-specific camouflage patterns, found on a limited number of useful garments. Now, with more than 100 different specific patterns — some generalized, some region-specific, coloring everything from wool coats to waders to scent-lock jumpsuits — the American hunter has a lot more thinking to do about his or her appearance in the field."

Read the complete article by SCOTT BOWEN - Published: December 22, 2007.

Let us hear some views on what is regarded as the best camouflage patterns, and if there is some hard evidence to back it up.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12...ner=rssyahoo&emc=rss

Warrior
 
Posts: 2273 | Location: South of the Zambezi | Registered: 31 January 2007Reply With Quote
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I don't think there is any one best pattern. It all depends on where you are hunting and time of year you are hunting.

I've used old French lizard pattern in the Piney Woods w/success for early season squirrel and deer. It wouldn't work in other parts of the state because it is too green.

I've used some old not sure what, but looked like British but not quite, in the South Texas Brush for doves. The lizard would have been too much dark green. Whatever it was, it was just right.

I've got some Mossy Oak I use that seems to be pretty good too. Not sure which one, I think it's the "break up".


Robert

If we can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people, under the pretense of taking care of them, they must become happy. Thomas Jefferson, 1802
 
Posts: 1207 | Location: Tomball or Rocksprings with Namibia on my mind! | Registered: 29 March 2008Reply With Quote
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FOr the areas I hunt which are Colorado, and Missouri Crye Multicam is about unbeatable for me.


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Posts: 1016 | Location: Denver | Registered: 31 May 2010Reply With Quote
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ASAT is and always has been THE best and most versatile camo in existence. Especially in the 3-D leaf pattern. Here are some google images


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Posts: 7906 | Registered: 05 July 2004Reply With Quote
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quote:
I've got some Mossy Oak I use that seems to be pretty good too. Not sure which one, I think it's the "break up".


I like New Mossy Oak Break-up, seems to be good choice where I hunt in treestands most of the time and is readily available in all types of hunting garments. Would like to try some other patterns with patches of white mixed in for snowy settings. BTW, like good old red plaid too.
 
Posts: 56 | Location: New Jersey/Wyoming | Registered: 24 March 2010Reply With Quote
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Depends on your area.

Here in PA, Realtree Hardwoods Gray is tops. The new AP/APG stuff is not too far behind. Mossy Oak's line has way too much black and dark tones for around here.

In Mexico, Realtree Max 1 just friggin' disappears.


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Posts: 764 | Location: slightly off | Registered: 22 March 2004Reply With Quote
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Better to have a variety and match the terrain.
Rick
 
Posts: 35 | Registered: 04 January 2005Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by akrick:
Better to have a variety and match the terrain.
Rick


Very true.

Spring gobbler season in PA when things are just starting to green up, I'll sometimes wear a brown leaf pattern pants or bibs and a limb & green leaf pattern jacket or shirt. Makes for just about right when sitting against a tree.


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Posts: 764 | Location: slightly off | Registered: 22 March 2004Reply With Quote
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My $20 from Cheaper than Dirt Alpenflage hooded field jacket w/face net and suspender pants. Anything that breaks up the human form will work.

http://www.airforceacu.com/jacketsf8.htm
 
Posts: 3652 | Location: SC,USA | Registered: 07 March 2002Reply With Quote
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I really like the King's shadow camo. Specifically the Desert Shadow and Mountain Shadow patterns.
 
Posts: 129 | Location: Birmingham, AL | Registered: 04 October 2010Reply With Quote
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I have been useing the original Predatore since 1992.



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Posts: 7360 | Location: South East Missouri | Registered: 23 November 2005Reply With Quote
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The best camo has to be Obama....I just can't see him in the white house. animal


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Posts: 4263 | Location: Pinetop, Arizona | Registered: 02 January 2006Reply With Quote
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I've used a bunch...Realtree, Mossy Oak, Woodland, Tree Bark but the best I have found for the areas I hunt, bar none is called "Be Still"


30+ years experience tells me that perfection hit at .264. Others are adequate but anything before or after is wishful thinking.
 
Posts: 854 | Location: Atlanta, GA | Registered: 20 December 2007Reply With Quote
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There is an outfit in Utah called King's Camo that has several dynamite patterns. I think they are much better than most camo I've seen.

Unfortunately, I would never buy another other of their products without personally inspecting it first, as the quality control on the two items I got was awful. My son's parka has the handwarmer pockets sewn so badly that even a 12-year-old could not insert his hand. The stitching on my poly flannel camo shirt was such that I had to redo much of it by hand, since it was uneconomic to send back from Japan. The sleeve buttons were on the wrong side on the arm (right where you mount a rifle) making me think the arms were sewn to the shirt upside down. Throughout, seams were sewn in a very sloppy way.

That said, I believe King's products are carried in Cabela's shops, so it may be possible to inspect before buying.


Norman Solberg
International lawyer back in the US after 25 years and, having met a few of the bad guys and governments here and around the world, now focusing on private trusts that protect wealth from them. NRA Life Member for 50 years, NRA Endowment Member from 2014, NRA Patron from 2016.
 
Posts: 554 | Location: Sandia Mountains, NM | Registered: 05 January 2011Reply With Quote
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In the deer and elk woods of northern AZ (units 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10), I prefer many-times-washed (and therefore very faded) old-time Woodland Camo. I do make very certain to use both gauze gloves and face netting of the same pattern and faded appearance.

On numerous occasions while sitting under a tree I have had game animals and/or hunters walk right by me within 10-15 feet without seeing me at all.
 
Posts: 9685 | Location: Cave Creek 85331, USA | Registered: 17 August 2001Reply With Quote
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I prefer "light" color schemes.

It depends where you are hunting, but at a distance dark camo patterns look dark against light colored terrain. When moving with this pattern, a hunter sticks out like a sore thumb. You can't distinguish those fancy, expensive patterns from one another after about 100 yards. At this point it's all about color shade and intensity. All the different patterns are marketing ploys to sell a product to a human. Do you think a deer can see the twigs and leaves on your clothes? Ha!

Look at the color of deer, elk, coyotes and other game animals. They are the color they are for a reason; concealment.

You'd be amazed at how well a simple tan Khaki and olive Khaki conceal you when hunting. I have been using them for coyote hunting and would have no problem doing the same for big game.

My Western camo consists of Prarie Ghost, Mossy Oak Brush, and Outfitter Gray. I like the Outfitter pattern the best.
 
Posts: 3427 | Registered: 05 August 2008Reply With Quote
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I wear less and less camo all the time. I find that regular earth tones (greens, browns, tans) do just as well if you watch your movement. I still have a lot of camo from back when I was a true believer, but as it wears out I'm just replacing those garments with brown Wranglers or Carhartts similarly colored long sleeve shirts.


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Posts: 3291 | Location: Southern NM USA | Registered: 01 October 2002Reply With Quote
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I usually wear tan pants and green jacket rather than camo. Most important is to KEEP STILL !
 
Posts: 7636 | Registered: 10 October 2002Reply With Quote
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No camo is worth the money if you move while in the conscious field of vision of your game. Since its tough not to move at all let alone when taking the shot, American Marketing has sold us a bill of goods.

If you are hunting people it is different of course.
 
Posts: 1939 | Registered: 16 January 2007Reply With Quote
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I tell ya the bestest woodland camo I've ever seen for upstate NY was Pop's pair of tiger stripes.
 
Posts: 6361 | Location: NY, NY | Registered: 28 November 2005Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by billinthewild:
The best camo has to be Obama....I just can't see him in the white house. animal


animal animal animal
 
Posts: 1382 | Location: Wyoming | Registered: 10 November 2008Reply With Quote
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The absolute best camo for where i hunt 9Arkansas is the German flecktarn.

Flecktarn

http://www.hassayampasurplus.com/



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Posts: 8342 | Location: Jennings Louisiana, Arkansas by way of Alabama by way of South Carloina by way of County Antrim Irland by way of Lanarkshire Scotland. | Registered: 02 November 2001Reply With Quote
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since they're all color blind, who cares? You could dress like Liberace or PeeWee Herman, and as long as you sit still... Their pasty white faces and hands are the issue.

These city boys are as bad as HS cheerleaders about having sixty outfits to choose from.
 
Posts: 23062 | Location: SW Idaho | Registered: 19 December 2005Reply With Quote
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Rhodesian camo has always been a favorite of mine. Perhaps because I am interested in the history as well but a very good pattern all the same.

although not really "camo", SADF Nutria brown is great stuff too. It just gets better with age and dirt.


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Posts: 1378 | Location: Virginia, USA | Registered: 05 March 2005Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by SG Olds:
No camo is worth the money if you move while in the conscious field of vision of your game. Since its tough not to move at all let alone when taking the shot, American Marketing has sold us a bill of goods.


I agree re Human movement, but if you sway side to side if spotted (ie like a bush in the wind), then it can confuse animals.

.
 
Posts: 3191 | Location: Victoria, Australia | Registered: 01 March 2007Reply With Quote
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Another vote here for ASAT 3D. It also gets my vote for most vertatile I've gone from wearing nothing but underwear under it to having full winter gear and everything in between. It's light weight, breaths, keeps out bugs can't ask for much more.
 
Posts: 2763 | Registered: 11 March 2004Reply With Quote
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Main reason we have so, many camo patterns is MARKETING. Big Grin Research has proven that human urine is just as attractive to deer, as their own, but guys still spend a fortune on bottled stuff. We wander around in the mistaken belief, just cause it looks good to us, Game must see it in the same light. Not so. Naturally black on white is going to stand out like a sore thumb, but the most important thing is to break up your outline, so you don't look like what you really are. Hunters 50 years ago did fine with plain drab colored clothing. No reason we can't do as well, unless you have more money than brains. Big Grin

Grizz


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Posts: 4211 | Location: Alta. Canada | Registered: 06 November 2002Reply With Quote
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Just to see if it matters, I quit wearing any camo and go with dark colors. I do not hunt turkeys or bow hunt - so my results are for rifle hunters.

I use camo for duck hunting only.

I see no difference in using camo or not when rifle hunting. If I work the wind, I get very close and the animals are none the wiser.

Also, why would anyone wear camo in a tree stand? Deer do not look up.
 
Posts: 10094 | Location: Texas... time to secede!! | Registered: 12 February 2004Reply With Quote
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Zero detect
 
Posts: 718 | Location: va | Registered: 30 January 2012Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
since they're all color blind, who cares? You could dress like Liberace or PeeWee Herman, and as long as you sit still... Their pasty white faces and hands are the issue.

These city boys are as bad as HS cheerleaders about having sixty outfits to choose from.


They wax poetic like crazy about it don't they?
 
Posts: 955 | Location: Until I am back North of 60. | Registered: 07 October 2011Reply With Quote
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Just got to jump in on this one. When I am in my office, a deer stand or box blind, I usually wear nice starched Wranglers with a starched shirt, color does not matter. When I am hunting out of my High Rack Truck, (portable office or office on wheels) I wear the same thing, Wranglers and starched shirt. (“hot biscuits, starched shirts and whores is what he fancies”, a line from a movie) Now then when business picks up and I am on the ground I wear Bushland Camo, Blends in very well with the Mesquite, Pear, Blackbrush, Sineso and everything that has thorns on it. The main things are hand and face, which need to be covered as well. Kings World Desert works really well for the low country also. When on eye level just remember to move very slowly and don’t jump when you realize you are standing on a rattle-bug.


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Posts: 1191 | Location: Central Texas | Registered: 29 January 2012Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by D Humbarger:
The absolute best camo for where i hunt 9Arkansas is the German flecktarn.

Flecktarn

http://www.hassayampasurplus.com/


If you choose to wear camo it doesn't get any better.

I also like the swedish geometric type camo.



It to works extremely well.
 
Posts: 618 | Location: UK | Registered: 17 March 2012Reply With Quote
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I like African Sniper, simply because no one else has it. Also the new Open / Hide Western Slope. It is just pure sagebrush.


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Posts: 174 | Location: Saratoga, Wyoming | Registered: 28 March 2010Reply With Quote
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Most modern camo is too dark. You can be seen hundreds of yards away, especially if your moving/walking. Spyder Oak (Texas) used to produce "Diamondback" camo. My friends said they would have never seen me in open prairie had I not been wearing an orange hat. Mature bucks would look up and stare at me in my tree stand (climbing) for a brief moment then drop their heads and pay for it. No other camo (and I have tried many patterns) would fool those mature whitetails like Diamondback. I only wish I had bought a lot of it. It does resemble the scale pattern of a rattle snake and anyone who has been around them often knows what I mean as to disappearing. I still rank it #1 as it fooled Elk, Mule and Whitetail deer, Pronghorn and many African antelope. This is an older photo and the camo pattern is darker than real life


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Posts: 6804 | Location: Tennessee | Registered: 18 December 2006Reply With Quote
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My favorite it ABPF - what ever is Already Been Paid For - mix and match! Alpenflage, Flectar, surplus Woodland and desert camo, etc.


"Pick out two!" - Moe Howard
 
Posts: 295 | Location: ARKANSAS - Ouachita mtns. | Registered: 19 January 2006Reply With Quote
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Also, why would anyone wear camo in a tree stand? Deer do not look up


In my experience, they might, more than you think. Several times in the dense woods of Alabama, I've caught them looking up (without any noise or movement to trigger it), and they can spot hunters in a tree. This seems to be with more experienced deer, who may well have been educated to tree stands by people hunting the same stands over and over, and moving, making noise, etc. Other friends have commented on this as well. Particularly when deer are moving up a hill in the direction of a treestand which is further up the hill. One fellow I know has taken some special fabric paint and put in "sky-colored" areas where the camo pattern was too dark and unbroken. Works great in a tree stand to help make him blend in with the "Airborne" background which is different from when you are on the ground without light sky behind you.
 
Posts: 126 | Location: Right here, for now! | Registered: 03 November 2015Reply With Quote
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Deer are not colorblind. They just don't see colors as we do and apparently don't see reds/oranges as distinct colors.

quote:
But all eyes are not created equal. Much of the research into deer vision has compared deer and human vision based on eye structure, and structural differences often mean functional differences.

Humans see a wide range of color as a result of three types of cones in our eyes: one that’s sensitive to short-wavelength light in the blue portion of the color spectrum, one sensitive to middle-wavelength light in the green portion and a third type receptive to long-wavelength light in the red portion.

In contrast to humans’ “trichromatic” vision, deer have “dichromatic” vision because they have only two types of cones, lacking the cone that’s sensitive to longer wavelengths such as red and orange. It doesn’t mean deer don’t see red and orange hues, only that they perceive the colors differently, likely the same way as a color-blind person.

Imagine a bushel basket of tomatoes in various stages of ripeness; while most humans can differentiate the green tomatoes from the pink and red ones, color-blind humans and deer cannot make the same visual distinction. It’s likely deer can discriminate between blue and red but not green and red.

The implication for hunters is that, barring other considerations such as scent and movement, it’s unlikely a deer will bust a hunter who’s wearing a blaze-orange hat and vest. For a hunter wearing a blue shirt under his orange vest, it may be a different story.

Another major difference between human and deer vision is visual acuity, which is the ability to focus on fine detail. Humans have an area on the retina called the optic fovea, a retinal depression with a high concentration of cone cells. Furthermore, about half of humans’ optic nerves are connected to the fovea. This combination gives us the ability to see fine detail, especially for activities such as reading, driving or watching television.

In contrast to a human’s round pupil and concentrated cones on the optic fovea, a deer’s horizontal-slit pupil and retinal structure give them a “visual streak” with areas of concentrated cone cells. As the concentration of cone cells on the retina increases, so does the ability to see detail. Deer have much less concentration of cone cells than humans, which means they don’t see the same fine detail. Research out of the University of Georgia points to deer vision being in the range of 20/200, which means a deer should be able to see detail at 20 meters that a human eye can see at 200 meters. That’s the same as a legally blind person.

Because of the horizontal pupil and cone concentration along the visual streak, scientists believe deer probably see greater detail along a horizontal swath in the middle of their field of vision. For an idea of how this might look from a deer’s perspective, imagine a television screen divided into horizontal thirds, with the screen’s middle section in sharp focus but with the top and bottom thirds blurred.

This may explain the lack of perceived danger by the deer in the hypothetical scenario at the beginning of this article. It also may support notions that hunters in elevated stands have an advantage over hunters on the ground.

Whitetails have built-in advantages over humans in the area of night vision. Their pupils are larger, allowing more light to reach the retina’s light receptors. Deer also have a tapetum, a reflective eye structure that enables whitetails to recycle light. The tapetum acts like a mirror, causing a deer’s eyes to shine at night, and when light isn’t absorbed by receptor cells the first time it enters the eye, the tapetum reflects it back over the cells a second time.

The potential ability to see ultraviolet light is another difference between the human and whitetail eye. Because humans are long-lived animals, we have a colored pigment in the eye lens that helps filter out damaging ultraviolet light, which otherwise might cause our eyes to fail long before the rest of the body.

The relatively short-lived deer lacks the ultraviolet filter, possibly allowing deer to see into the UV spectrum. The lack of the filter also likely increases a deer’s ability to see shorter-wavelength light in the blue part of the spectrum.

While findings on a deer’s ability to see UV light are inconclusive, research suggests fabrics containing UV dyes and brighteners – common components in most of today’s clothes and laundry detergents – are more visible to deer than to humans.

The implication for hunters is that some fabrics and detergents may cause them to glow as if they were standing under a blacklight.


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Posts: 17099 | Location: Texas USA | Registered: 07 May 2001Reply With Quote
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First off Terry Wieland is a massive dumb ass, so the idea that they went to him is bullshit to begin with.

2nd the camoflage patterns developed by the guy that has a PHD in Camo who worked with Gore and Kuiu to create those patterns, as well as the military to create the digital patterns are exceptional.

In Afghanistan and Iraq the first couple trips we had 3 color desert, which was ok. The last couple trips we had the varient of MARPAT desert for the Navy called AOR 2. Very kick ass stuff.

Most commercial paterns are designed to catch hunters, not wildlife.
 
Posts: 7763 | Location: Das heimat! | Registered: 10 October 2012Reply With Quote
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We live in a predominantly tan area here, desert, and Ponderosa Pine is generally in the woods.

I have been looking hard at the Kryptek Highlander pattern for this year.
 
Posts: 23062 | Location: SW Idaho | Registered: 19 December 2005Reply With Quote
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Just about anything with shades consistent with the area will work but stay away from patterns with big patches or blobs of black. Black is not as common in real life as you would think. Small bits of black are okay but very, very dark grey, green, or brown are better to have in the pattern than black.

Jool's picture above is a good example. You can see how much the black in the rifle stands out while the dark shades in the uniform tend to blend in.




.
 
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